Electronic components such as integrated circuit (IC) chips and diodes mounted on circuit boards are packaged to provide mechanical support and to protect and isolate the chips from the external environment. Depending on the application, these electronic components may generate high amounts of heat which must be dissipated in order to avoid damage to the components and/or the overall system, and to extend their operating life. Known heat dissipation techniques used in packaging electronic components result in added bulk and volume which undesirably increases the total size of the circuit boards and/or limits the number of components that can be placed within a given space. Alternative packaging techniques and assemblies are desirable.